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A few months ago, I claimed that the cheeseburger I had at Husk in Charleston was the best burger I had ever had.

I might have found a replacement.

I’ve finally moved into my new dorm, and with it comes a whole new set of responsibilities, including feeding myself on a regular basis. My roommate, Rebecca, had her mom staying with us for a few days, and she made us some delicious meals while she was here. However, she’s back in Cincinnati now, which means we have to fend for ourselves.

After exhausting all of my go-to options (Garlic Pasta, Enchilada Soup, Hot Pockets) I decided to try something new from a recipe I found on Foodily. I changed the recipe around a little to suit my tastes and make do with what I have, but you can find the original recipe here.

3. Form into patties and cook over medium-high heat until cooked through (mine were about 4 minutes on each side, and I cooked 3 at a time)

4. Spread Cream Cheese on bun, add patties and enjoy!

Yield: about 6 patties

My favorite part about these burgers is that they are so juicy and delicious. I don’t have access to a grill, but cooking them in the pan worked just fine, and the addition of the creamy Philadelphia was the perfect match. I didn’t add any additional veggies on top as I usually do with burgers (lettuce, tomato, pickles, etc) since the patties themselves are already stuffed full.

The best part about these is that I ate one for lunch, and froze the rest after I cooked them. Since meat can’t be re-frozen after it’s already been thawed, you have to cook the burgers before you can put them back into the freezer, but once they’ve been cooked, a couple of Ziplock baggies with the date on them do the trick. Basically, you’ve just made yourself five additional meals!

But buying groceries is expensive, they say. No way! Here’s a breakdown of price to prove to you that you’re better off making these burgers for yourself than buying that McDonald’s Happy Meal:

Lately, I have been super into The Laughing Cow Cream Cheese Wedges. I never really liked the regular cheese wedges (my Mom swears by them though), but I love, love, love the Garden Vegetable cream cheese flavor. The other night, I used it to enhance the frozen taquitos I cooked for dinner, and they tasted great! Today, I used one for my dinner. I love that you know exactly how much you’re getting and that they have great flavor with less fat than regular cream cheese.

Image from thelaughingcow.com

So now you’re dying to know how I made these deliciously simple chicken veggie wraps, right? They were so easy and easily one of the best wraps I’ve ever had!

1. Coat bottom of small fry pan with a very thin layer of oil. Cook chicken mostly through and season as desired.
2. Add veggies and cook until chicken is completely cooked through (mine took about 3 more minutes after I added the veggies)
3. Heat tortillas in microwave for about 20 seconds, until soft and warm
4. Divide 1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese in half and spread down the middle of each tortilla
5. Add chicken and veggies, wrap up, and enjoy!

This was the perfect quick dinner after a long day of work and provided a healthy serving of dairy, veggies, and protein without a heavy carb load. I would even try it with a whole wheat tortilla or pita next time!

This was the first time I cooked this dish – for a dorm friendly food contest. It won 2nd place!

Today, I have been making a lot of preparations for my return to school in August. I submitted my early move-in request, signed up to volunteer for freshman move-in and work the Strong Women Strong Girls table at the Activity Fair, and sent my RSVP to the Service Learning Partnership Orientation for the class I will be TAing in the fall (I like to do it all!).

Doing all this college-y stuff has inspired me to share a college girl friendly recipe for the day. I love this recipe because it’s easy, inexpensive, and it can be cooked in the microwave! (Good news for anyone living in a traditional dorm). I made it quite a few times during my freshman year, and even submitted it in a contest where it won 2nd place!

(Quick note: I like to make this dish in a round Pyrex glass bowl. The four cup one is the perfect size and it transitions easily from microwave to refrigerator if there are leftovers.)

1. Start with your tater tots in a medium sized microwavable dish. Add chicken broth and microwave on high for five minutes.
2. Remove from microwave and stir together until broth disappears completely and the tater tots lose their individual form. Add onion and pepper; stir together and microwave on high for another five minutes.
3. Remove and add ham. Lightly salt and pepper, and stir again. Layer cheese on top of the dish; you can add more or less than the suggested amount to taste. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
4. Give it one more good stir, and serve.

This works as a great dinner for 1 or 2 people to share, or a side dish for 3-4 people (I like to omit the ham if I’m cooking it as a side). Also tastes great with bacon bits!

Another quick note: measurements are not super important for this recipe. I pretty much eyeball everything, and just cut up whatever pepper and onion I happen to have on hand at the time. As long as your tater tot to broth ratio is good, you will have a perfect, dorm friendly microwave casserole!